Industries
Commercial Real Estate
Iron fouling cuts HVAC efficiency and raises operating costs. It also works against the sustainability numbers tenants and investors ask for.
HydroFlux helps downstream filters capture fine iron. An assessment checks installation needs and defines what to measure at your property.
01 / The challenge
What iron fouling costs a commercial building
Steel piping sheds iron oxide into a building's water systems. The particles are too small for standard filters, so they accumulate on coils, in heat exchangers, and throughout distribution loops.
- Tenant comfort complaints
- Fouled heat exchangers mean uneven temperatures and more tenant complaints, which puts renewals at risk.
- Water treatment spend
- Chemical treatment for cooling towers and closed loops is a large recurring cost, more so across a portfolio of buildings.
- ESG & sustainability pressure
- Investors and tenants ask for ESG reporting and LEED certification. A chemical-heavy water program works against those goals.
- Aging HVAC in Class A buildings
- Older steel piping systems shed iron oxide continuously. Sub-5-micron particles bypass standard filtration, fouling coils and reducing system efficiency year after year.
02 / The solution
How HydroFlux helps commercial properties
HydroFlux uses patented magnetic technology to aggregate fine iron oxide into sizes your existing filtration can capture. It adds no chemicals and requires no power.
- Clamp-on install
- Can go onto suitable existing pipe while the loop runs. We review any pipe preparation first
- No bracelet power
- Passive magnets need no electricity. Filters and pumps still need service
- Works with filtration
- We review existing filters and identify any added equipment the system needs
- No chemicals added
- Works with the approved water treatment program
- Repeatable across a portfolio
- Standardized deployment across multiple properties
03 / ROI
The value case for property operators
Build the value case from your property's own measured data.
- Treatment spend
- Measure approved treatment changes and related costs against the property baseline.
- Filter operations
- Track captured mass, differential pressure, and filter-change frequency during the assessment.
- Equipment condition
- Track iron loading, cleaning observations, and customer-selected equipment measures.
- Maintenance labor
- Compare relevant work orders and cleaning events before and during the pilot.
04 / Property types
Property types
It can go on a single building's loop or across a portfolio. Each starts with an assessment.
- 01
Class A office buildings
Tenants on premium leases notice when a floor runs warm
- 02
Mixed-use developments
Complex loops serving retail, office, and residential from shared central plants
- 03
High-rise residential towers
Vertical distribution systems where iron accumulates in upper-floor fan coils
- 04
Shopping centers & retail
Large cooling plants carrying many tenants with different loads
- 05
Hotel & hospitality properties
Rooms need heating and cooling 24/7, so there's no good time for an HVAC outage
- 06
Multi-building portfolios
Standardized deployment across properties for portfolio-wide OpEx reduction
05 / Key stats
Key figures
- lower sampled iron
- 87%
- LAX, June–December 2024; later readings were higher
- field study
- 10 mo
- LAX Terminal 5 chilled water
- captured mass
- +9.1%
- selected aggregated LAX tests
- bracelet power
- 0
- passive magnetic treatment
LAX records show sampled iron at 3.9 ppm in June 2024 and 0.51 ppm in December, with higher readings later. Selected filter comparisons recorded 9.1% more captured material per gallon, with stated test limits.
Source: LAX Terminal 5 field results and project records
06 / Validation
What we measure on-site
Every deployment includes a measurement plan. We set a baseline and track performance against it with your building's data.
- 01Filter mass captured per volume filtered (g / 1,000 gal)
- 02Differential pressure trend across filtration
- 03Iron concentration trend (lab sampling)
- 04Maintenance events related to fouling (work orders / cleanings)
- 05Energy consumption at heat exchangers and AHUs
07 / Questions
Common questions
Does HydroFlux require a system shutdown for installation in a commercial building?
Usually not. On suitable existing pipe, it clamps on with no drain-down or pipe cutting, and tenants aren't disturbed. Some sites need pipe preparation first.
How does iron fouling affect tenant comfort in commercial buildings?
Iron oxide on heat exchangers and coils cuts heat transfer, so tenant spaces run at uneven temperatures. That leads directly to comfort complaints and lease renewal risk.
Does HydroFlux support ESG and LEED goals for commercial real estate?
HydroFlux adds no chemicals and uses no power. Property teams must verify project-specific water, cost, ESG, and LEED outcomes through site measurements.
Does HydroFlux replace chemical water treatment in commercial buildings?
No. HydroFlux adds no chemicals and works alongside the approved water treatment and corrosion-control program.
How do we start an assessment for our property?
Tell us what keeps plugging or fouling and how often it happens. We review the problem, identify missing information and discuss whether a measured trial fits your property.
Discuss your system
Start with one building loop that has an iron problem. We agree on success measures before a trial.